*What is your goal for the standard you are teaching? Is it review, final or post assessment, new knowledge, etc.?
*When is it effective to have students work alone or in groups?
1. Individual
2. Partnering
3. Small group

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Pros:
1. Student can work at their own pace
2. Students have the opportunity to figure out their own opinions and thoughts
3. Intrapersonal learners are better able to focus
4. Teachers can more clearly assess a student’s understanding

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Cons:
1. Students don’t have the opportunity to learn from peers
2. Not all students (interpersonal learners) are able to work to their full potential
3. Less creativity/opportunities to build on others’ ideas

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
When to choose individual learning activities:
1. When your goal is individual assessment
2. When your goal is for students to practice something independently

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Examples:
1. Pre-assessments (a math unit pretest)
2. Guided practice activities (worksheet in class to practice a newly learned grammar skill)
3. Independent practice activities (homework where students have to write a story using new vocabulary words)

PARTNERS
Possible Negatives:
1. Reinforce cliques
2. Undermine your classroom team building activities
3. Leave some kids taken advantage of...
... while others go unchallenged
"We are here to learn, friends are a side benefit.”
(Weigle, 2012)

PARTNERS
Positives
1. Some students feel more at ease.
2. Some students learn better from other students
3. Allows for sharing of ideas

CHOOSING PARTNERS
We believe in student-centered classroom, but that doesn't mean the students get to run the classroom. The teacher runs the classroom in the way that best benefits the children.
(Weigle, 2012)

STUDENT CHOICE
These situations are rare:
1. Buddy Reading Session
2. Fun Art Project

TABLE PARTNERS
• There are also situations where a brief conference is appropriate to firm up answers:
"Turn to your table partners." (If seated in groups.)
"Turn to the person across from you.”
(Weigle, 2012)

RANDOM TEACHER CHOICE
Picking names from a hat is the classic method
*Using popsicle sticks
*Counting off
*If you have _____ on. . .

MANAGING PARTNERS
*A teacher must be vigilant to ensure that partnerships are equal.
*The teacher needs to circulate to ask questions; it will become readily apparent who is doing the work and who is not. If the kids expect that the teacher will be checking up on them, they'll put out the effort needed to stay on task.
(Weigle, 2012)

INTENTIONAL PARTNERING
1. Weaker student with stronger student: a great way to reinforce mastery, and kids sometimes learn best when they hear the lesson from a different source.
2. Same level
3. Same learning style
4. Gender
5. Social opposites
(Weigle, 2012)

WHEN TO USE PARTNERING
*Reviewing for an Assessment
*Working on Projects
*Practicing New Information
*Reviewing Prior Days Information

SMALL GROUP LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Pros:
1. The ZPD (Zone of Proximal
Development) increases
2. Interpersonal learners are better able to learn
3. A wider variety of activities are possible
4. Increased creativity/opportunities to build on others’ ideas
(Bilash, 2011)

SMALL GROUP LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Cons:
1. Time is needed to plan effective groups
2. Not all students (intrapersonal learners) are able to work to their full potential
3. Individual student assessment is challenging
(Bilash, 2011)

SMALL GROUP LEARNING ACTIVITIES
When to choose small group learning activities:
1. When your goal is students reviewing information
2. When your goal is students learning through discovery
3. When your goal is students learning and growing from each other
4. When your goal is for students to learn how to work cooperatively

SMALL GROUP LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Examples:
1. Application projects (write a travel guide book after studying a country)
2. Reviewing information (play a review game to increase individual motivation)
3. Teaching social skills (letting students choose how to split a group task evenly so that everyone participates fairly)

APPLICATION
Group by counting off
3 ways that this type of grouping would work in your classroom/school
Group by divisions
3 ways that this type of grouping would work in your classroom/school

WORKS CITED
Weigle, B. (2012). Choosing student partners . Retrieved from http://www.classroom-teacher-resources.com/student-partners.html
Bilash, O. (2011, January). Flexible grouping: Individual, pair and group working . Retrieved from http://www2.education.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/Best of Bilash/pairwork.html
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